


Love Wasn't Meant For Mine

by InkandOwl



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-22 04:27:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7419733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkandOwl/pseuds/InkandOwl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“And i’ll ask you again, how did you get in here?”</p>
<p>Eren points back vaguely in the direction he came from, “There’s a hole in your roof.  I found it in the forest.” The boy sighs like he hadn’t considered it would be an issue and Eren can’t blame him, most people don’t get the urge to crawl into openings in the ground.  “Where are we anyways?  I mean, besides your- home.” </p>
<p>“Underworld.” He states simply</p>
<p> <br/>  <b>Persephone/Hades AU</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I did a lot of research on Greek Mythology for this, which wasn't a chore because it's incredibly interesting, but this is definitely a totally different interpretation for it. The gods were an absolute mess and it was hard to fit the characters comfortably into the roles, so the name of the God is more or less a title. This is also based off of art I did over on my tumblr for it which can be found over here ----> http://inkandowl.tumblr.com/post/144307558646/hades-armin-persephone-eren

“I need cattail and crocus.” Mikasa dug quietly through her satchel “And Hyacinths. Blue.” 

Eren sits back on his hands, keeps his eyes on Jean waist deep in the river and trying to catch crayfish. “For what?” Jean loses his balance and falls face first into the water and Eren falls back onto the ground, laughing so hard tears collect in the corners of his eyes. 

“For a spell, Eren.” She stands over him, long black hair curtaining his view. He sighs and rolls his eyes, but waves his arm over the soft grass beside him and leaves a collection of the flowers his sister had requested. 

Jean wanders over to them, robes clinging to his body and he falls next to Eren with a decided _thump_. It was only two nights ago that the young gods had had their coming of age ceremony. They were given titles, official names that the mortals would know them by and pray to them with, and a gifting of powers. Jean was given a fifty day moon cycle, tattooed from his left arm all the way across his back and down his right arm, in divine golden ink. Eren would never tell him, but it looked beautiful. They called him Selene and he rose the moon at night, a title that complimented Mikasa’s well. The mortals called her Hecate and she was nighttime and magic and when it was dark outside her hair lit up with the stars. The elder gods had been keen on a marriage between the two, but Mikasa had asked for the gift of chastity and Eren knew that Jean had met a shepherd in Thessaly that held his affections. 

“You make the arrangements for Levi yet?” Jean asks, shucking his wet robes off of him and stretching out in the sun. 

Eren twists his mouth in a frown, “I wouldn’t really call them arrangements, he just keeps all the flowers in a box until he needs them anyway. Something to give to his many suitors. Really _dense_ suitors.” He gently clasps his hands together and opens them to reveal a bundle of small purple and yellow flowers, and he grins knowingly, “He gives these to all of them.”

“What do they mean?” Jean plucks them from his hand and Mikasa huffs out a laugh.

“Indifference.” She knows almost as much about flowers and what the mean as Eren does, she relies so heavily on nature for her magic. “We should head back home, Carla will worry.” She hands the flowers back to Jean and Eren chuckles at the implication. 

Eren stands, brushes off the sunset yellow robes he was given at the ceremony, “You guys go ahead of me, I need to cycle out the woods.” 

Mikasa crosses her arms across her chest and furrows her eyebrows, “You were supposed to do that earlier.” 

“Yeah, thanks.” He dismisses her with a wave, and Jean puts an arm around her, guiding her towards the field and the direction of their homes.

Eren is already bored of his work, deciding which trees need regrowth and which ones are too rotten to survive. He’s paying little attention and he’s already tripped twice, but the ground turns to soft moss where he steps. Until he practically falls into a narrow cavern opening in the ground. Eren curses and leans down to inspect his foot, now scraped up from the rocks. A cold wind blows up from the opening and Eren shivers, leaning closer to the opening. 

It’s small, only wide enough for him to _just_ fit in if he goes through sideways. Which is exactly what he does. He kicks his feet out in an attempt to find solid ground inside, but is only met with a cold emptiness, and before he can pull himself back out, his grip on the rocks slips and he falls.

Or floats.

The world around him rotates in the darkness and the intense vertigo has Eren collapsing into soft dirt on his hands and knees, fighting hard not to wretch. He blinks into the shadows and inspects the dirt on his hands. Or rather, ashes. 

As his eyes adjust, he realizes that the entrance he had crawled through is seemingly miles above him and the only viable option is to press deeper into a carved out tunnel. Dying red columbines drip from underneath Eren’s robes and he swallows against the overwhelming feeling of loneliness he gets in the cave. In the distance he can hear the echoes of someone crying and pleas for help. 

The crying becomes deafening the further Eren travels, and the walls of the tunnel become more polished and more organised in their design. Eren claps his hands over his ears by the time he reaches an ornate door, darker than pitch and reaches out desperately to push it open. The door explodes into ravens and Eren presses himself into the wall, eyes shut tight and unaware of the whimper of fear that escapes his throat until a growl low enough to shake in his chest rumbles in the shadows. 

The animal is massive- or rather, _animals_ \- and Eren can see the reflection of its eyes in the dark, growing closer until he can see three wide sets of teeth. It looks like a wolf, three wolves, the size of a war elephant, with fur bristling as it stalks closer. Eren presses his hand over his mouth, as if the beast hasn’t spotted him already and his skin feels numb. He’s going to die in a hole in the earth, when he should’ve gone home with Mikasa and Jean. The animal coils back to attack and Eren closes his eyes, prays that it’s quick. 

And is met instead with a faint hissing sound and the smell of smoke and cypress.

“How did you get in here?” The voice isn’t angry, more confused and worried.

Eren dares to peer up at the boy standing before him, metal thorns woven into a crown around pale gold hair and murky blue eyes wide on him. The wolf is behind him, only feet from the ghostly looking boy and Eren gasps. “It’s- there- there’s an animal.” He almost reaches out to pull him to safety, but the wolf nudges him in the back with one of its massive noses and knocks the boy off of his balance for a moment.

He steadies himself with a hand in its fur and pets it, “I know. He’s mine. And you didn’t answer me.” 

“You keep a three headed wolf as a pet?” Eren squints at him.

“He’s a dog” The boy defends, then shakes his head, “Besides, this is my house, I can keep whatever I like, can’t I?” He turns his nose up slightly at Eren and Eren would laugh if he wasn’t still so afraid. “And i’ll ask you again, how did you get in here?”

Eren points back vaguely in the direction he came from, “There’s a hole in your roof. I found it in the forest.” The boy sighs like he hadn’t considered it would be an issue and Eren can’t blame him, most people don’t get the urge to crawl into holes in the ground. “Where are we anyways? I mean, besides your- home.” 

“Underworld.” He states simply, face half buried in the wolf’s muzzle.

Eren’s eyes grow wide and he stares in amazement at the boy, dressed in dark blue robes with cold iron adornments, “Hades” he whispers. He frowns at Eren, who simply lights up, “The mortals call you Hades!”

He sniffs, “And the mortals call you Persephone, but I’m sure you hate that name, correct?” Eren cringes.

“How do you know who I am?” 

“You’ve been dripping life all over the land of the dead, I could sense you throwing off the balance down here since you arrived.” He tells Eren, but there’s no real heat to his words. In fact, he wears a crooked grin and Eren huffs out a laugh. “It’s been a long time since anyone brought flowers down here.” 

“How long?” Eren asks, regarding the dead petals around them.

“Forever.” He shrugs, “I’m Armin.” He bows slightly. Eren had heard that there was a new God of the Dead after the ceremony, but his receiving was a private affair, only for the eyes of the Old Gods. 

“Eren.” He offers back and Armin hums quietly. 

“You can’t stay here, Eren. I’ll bring you back.” Armin whispers something into the wolf’s ear and it retreats back into the darkness. 

Eren follows him back towards the cavern opening, taking in the dark architecture around him. “What’s your dog’s name?” he chatters idly and Armin glances back at him.

“Cerberus. The Old Gods wanted to destroy him, but he’s actually very lovely and he makes great company.” Armin chirped happily, and Eren thought it was odd that anyone could call that sort of monster ‘lovely’. 

“So naturally you brought him home and named him Spot.” Eren shrugs

“Naturally.” Armin stops Eren then and glances up at the faint sliver of moonlight shining through the ceiling of the cavern. “Please try not to climb into anyone else’s home from now on?” 

He’s teasing but there’s a sadness to Armin’s voice that Eren can’t place. He wraps his arms around Armin, his pale skin freezing in Eren’s embrace and Eren shivers. “It was nice meeting you though. I could visit again?” 

Armin looks stunned that anyone dared to hug him and shakes his head, “You can’t, it’s against the rules. Only if you’re dead, and I hope I don’t see that day for you any time soon.” 

“Right, but I spent time with you now and i’m still alive.” Eren spreads his arms wide as if to make a point. 

 

“But you’re not.” Armin shakes his head, “I mean- you are, but also you’re not. While you’re here, you can’t exist up there, and the world needs Spring.” Eren frowns, but Armin just grabs his hands tightly in his and whispers, “It was nice to meet you, Persephone” and shoves him backwards, Eren’s vision blurring on the edges and finally blacking out. 

When he comes to, he’s laying in a bed of dried leaves and the air carries a slight chill, making him shiver while he stares up at the night sky. The entire walk home, Eren thinks about the underworld, and Cerberus, and mostly the young God that carries a title most would’ve never been ready for. He decides not to tell anyone about what happened when he climbs into bed and wraps himself tightly in his warmest blanket. 

~~

Carla sets out a plate of wild berries for her children, “It was strangely cold last night, I wonder if there’s a storm coming.” She says idly and Eren is careful to look bored as he picks the leaves off of a strawberry. Mikasa, however, keeps her eyes trained on her brother. 

“Probably, you _are_ the goddess of Harvest, you would know better than anyone.” She says, still not looking away from Eren.

Carla squints out her window at the clear sky, “That’s the weird thing, I can’t sense a change in the weather for at least another week.” 

“I didn’t really notice it.” Eren says, far too nonchalant for a deity of all things warm weather and MIkasa narrows her eyes. “I have to meet with Levi, so I’ll see you tonight?” He shoves out of his chair and Carla nods at him, kissing the top of his head despite his protests.

“I don’t want you back as late as you were last night, make sure you leave at a sensible hour.” She warns and Mikasa follows Eren into the yard.

“What did you do?” She drapes her red shawl around her neck.

Eren looks at her like she’s grown an extra pair of eyes, “What are you talking about? I have work to do w-”

“The weather. Eren, it was freezing last night, and you know why.” Her voice is cold and knowing.

Her brother scowls at her then, “I don’t control the weather, Mikasa, and I’m not always the cause for everyone’s problems. Maybe you can cast some fancy spell, summon your ghosts, asks them what happened?”

His words are harsh and said in anger, “That’s not how it works, Eren, you know-” She cuts herself short though, realizes she’s accusing Eren in the same fashion and her cheeks redden. She has the good graces to at least look embarrassed and wraps her arms around herself. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have accused you.” 

Eren frowns, takes a few steps back towards her and hugs her tightly, “It’s okay, you were just looking out. I’m definitely not powerful enough to change the season though.” He wraps her shawl more tightly around her, drapes it over the lower half of her face and kisses her forehead. “I really do need to meet with Levi, you know how he gets when he’s kept waiting. 

Mikasa just closes her eyes, a muffled laugh coming from behind her shawl. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Eren takes the long way to Levi’s. Mostly because he likes to see if Connie and Sasha are out by the river, but also because Levi isn’t actually expecting him today. 

Connie _is_ spread out by the river, trying to skip stones, but mostly sinking them. Sasha waves Eren over with an arrow in her hand. Eren enjoys the company of the twins. “Hey there, flowers. It’s been long enough since you last visited us.” She returns her arrow to the quiver and Connie groans.

“Flowers? That was terrible, we gotta think of better nicknames.” He trudges out of the muddy shallows to join his sister. “So you’re definitely out this way because you want to hang out with us right? Or is it because Jean skipped town?” 

Eren falters then, narrows his eyes at Connie, “Jean skipped- where did he go?” 

Sasha and Connie exchange a look and Sasha bites her lip, “Connie saw him this morning. Jean brought down the moon, Connie was getting ready to raise the sun and- well he said he was leaving. That he would be back by tuesday, when the moon cycle started new.”

“So?” Eren scrunches up his nose, “He didn’t _really_ skip town then. He’s coming back, so why the worry?” 

“He went to Thessaly.” Connie blurts out “ _Because he’s in love_.”

“With a human!” Sasha adds in the strangest mix of a shout and a whisper that Eren’s ever heard. “That shepherd, he’s going to try and bring him back here, and you know what the gods will do if they find out.” 

Kill the shepherd. Kill Jean. Maybe both. Eren looks around like the answer might be in the landscape. “I need to see Levi. If he knows then it’s too late for us to do anything.” 

~~

“Of course I know about Jean.” Levi looks alarmingly pale in the red of his ceremonial robes. “Did you honestly trek all the way to the base of Mount Olympus to ask me about the worlds most obvious love affair?”

Eren feels faint. “Is that why you’re going to the council of Old Gods? To tell them about it?” 

Levi looks down at his attire and rolls his eyes, “No, gods, I’m not a monster. Listen,” He stands aside, let’s Eren come into his home and settle onto a finely crafted metal bench, “I knew about Jean the second he met Marco, that’s how this works.” Eren figures Marco must be the shepherd. “When the potential for love exists, and either party is a mortal, _I know_. The only time I can make that call on the gods is if I’m looking them in the eyes.” He says it with a particular amount of venom in his voice. For being the God of Love, Levi absolutely hates it. 

“Why aren’t you going to tell?” Eren taps his fingers nervously against his knees.

“Because it’s not my job. If the Old Gods call me before them on trial, _then_ it’s my job. Until then, good luck to the stupid bastard. While I have you here though,” Levi turns on him and Eren already has his hands pressed together to provide Levi with flowers. Instead, Levi grabs Eren’s chin in his hand and turns his face so that his eyes are fixed on his own, “You are going to turn this world upside down with that.” 

Eren’s stomach turns uncomfortably, the way Levi bores into him with slate grey eyes, a disbelieving smirk on his face. “With what?” He swallows and Levi leans back with a huff.

“You met a new god recently?” Levi moves to brew himself some tea. 

Eren thinks of Armin and the way he felt like a cold breeze when he had touched him and shakes his head, “No.” 

Levi looks bored, “That’s fine, lie to me if you want.”

“I’m not in love.” Eren defends. He’s not. He liked Armin, was fascinated by him, but he didn’t love him.

“Not yet, but you will be.” Levi transfers his tea into an ornate cup and waves Eren off of his bench. “Now if you don’t mind, I have a meeting with the council. Maybe consider letting me know ahead of time next time you want an impromptu visit.” 

Eren waves to Levi, despite his back being turned to the young god and blinks into the sunlight that had always been so welcoming, but now feels stifling. The woods are barely visible from the base of the mountain, and it would take half a day's walk to get there, and he would most certainly never be able to get home before sundown. And Armin had told him not to come back, that he couldn’t exist in the underworld with him, so surely what Levi had seen in Eren’s eyes had nothing to do with him. Eren spares Levi one last glance before turning back towards the woods and running.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun is setting and there’s no sign of Eren on the horizon. Carla bites nervously at her thumbnail, a growing sense of dread curled tight in her chest. Mikasa sweeps the front step behind her and only stops to place a hand on her shoulder. “You know how he is, he probably got distracted along the way. Probably got into another foot race with Connie.” 

Carla shakes her head, pushes her fingers into the front of her hair, “No. Something’s wrong, I can’t sense him.” Mikasa looks out then at the woods, expansive and threatening even from this distance. 

“We should wait for him inside.” She takes Carla’s hand and Carla lets her guide her back through the humble wooden door. 

 

~~

 

“Armin!” Eren doesn’t bother to keep his voice down in the echoing chamber of the underworld. When the imminent growling starts, Eren rounds on the three headed wolf and brightly calls out, “Cerberus!” The wolf’s ears twitch and it tilts the largest of its heads at him, “Can you call your master?” He’s nervous around the animal still, but it’s trumped by the burning excitement he feels. Cerberus gets down on it’s belly and crawls towards Eren, sniffing at him expectantly. He reaches out his hand tentatively, rubbing it over the short bristling hair of Cerberus’s muzzle. A happy low rumble emits from the beast’s chest. “Really?” Eren scratches him then, “It was that easy? You must be a miserable guard dog.” 

When Armin gets to them, in a flurry of cinders and crows feathers, Eren is laughing underneath Cerberus’s giant nose. He whistles, high pitched and eerie in tone, and Cerberus perks up, watching his master with obedient interest. Eren rolls onto his hands and knees before sitting back on his heels and rubbing his hands on his knees, “Hey, there you are.” 

Armin doesn’t smile though. Doesn’t react at all. Just watches Eren with eyes that reflect like an animals in the night, shining and feral. His hands are covered in black ink, that stretches up to his forearms and his fingers twitch with intent. Suddenly the stories make sense. A terrifying god so entrenched in death he encompasses it. Dark, made to be feared. “Why are you here?” His voice is quiet and Eren swallows hard. 

“I- I wanted to see you again. I thought you might want a visitor- I thought-”

“You’re wrong.” He stalks towards Eren, movement careful until he leans down to look him in the eyes. Eren focuses hard, wants to see what Levi sees when he looks into people’s souls. But he sees nothing. Armin’s eyes are foggy, glazed over, he looks like he should be blind. “I don’t ever want to see you here again.” His voice stays quiet, dangerous, but it wavers when you says ‘you’ and Eren purses his lips in a frown and forces himself into Armin’s personal space. His eyes falter, slipping to look just a little more human, before it’s back to hazy. It’s an act. 

“That’s not true.” Eren taps Armin’s cold skin, “Why don’t you just let me be your friend? I know you can’t have a ton of them in this place.” He teases and Armin pinches the bridge of his nose like he has a headache coming on. 

“Eren.” He looks at him like it hurts, “There are rules-”

“Forget the rules!”

“They exist for a reason!” He pleads, “This is the underworld, people come here when they _die_. Maybe it’s easy for you to visit the other gods, mortals even, but they exist in your realm, you belong to the living. Heroes and demigods, much stronger than you have come here trying to steal back a soul, take cerberus, _kill me_ ” He says the last one like it’s more of an aggravation than anything, “None of them leave.”

Eren picks at a stray thread in his robe, “So you’re going to kill me if i stay? I’m going to die if I hang out here long enough? My soul is just gonna float away?” He doesn’t know what it is about Armin, if it was what Levi said, or something that he saw the first time he met, but he doesn’t _want_ to leave. 

Armin inhales loudly, “No- I mean- no.” He looks defeated, “You won’t die, but bad things will happen.” 

“What?”

Eren almost feels bad for the amount of conflict that crosses Armin’s face, “I don’t know.” He finally says in a defeated whisper. 

“Well, it’s settled then.” He grabs Armin’s hand and Armin looks up at him like he’s lost his mind, “I’ll just stay for a little.” Eren turns Armin’s hand over in his own, they’re still black, “Why do you have all of this ink on you?” 

Armin tries to tug his hand away as he turns to walk down the corridor, but Eren holds tightly and ends up being dragged along, “I was putting new entries on the books. My ink well broke though. When you showed up actually.” 

“It’s an omen, clearly.” He teases and Armin can’t help the small laugh that escapes him. 

“It was the strangest thing, it was the loudest noise i’d ever heard, I thought the underworld was collapsing. Like maybe the Titans had escaped.” He grins, “But it ended just as soon as it started and when I looked up at my inkwell there was a bunch of flowers in the broken glass. Knew it was you then.”

“Here for a friendly visit.”

“Or home invasion.” Armin notices the goosebumps on Eren’s arms and the way his jaw is clenched tight to fight shivering and Armin sighs. He shakes his hand loose from Eren’s, “You don’t have to suffer while you’re here, it’s not a requirement. And you don’t- you don’t have to touch me.” Armin stutters out the last part and Eren grins crookedly. 

“I don’t mind. Maybe I need a little bit of a cool down.” Eren quirks an eyebrow at Armin splutters. 

“Oh gods, was that- you can’t _say things like that to me_.” He stops in front of the large black door that they met in front of the first time Eren showed up. 

Eren bites back a laugh, “I’m teasing you.” He taps one of the jagged metal thorns on Armin’s head and Armin looks like he would blush if he could. “Where are we going, by the way?” 

“My office.” Armin presses his hands firmly to the door and it falls to a pile of black sand in front of them.

 

~~

There’s a chill in the air and Levi is almost glad for it. He wraps a wool blanket around his shoulders and takes his time to really scrub the usually sun warmed stones outside of his home. His head is throbbing with a wealth of emotions from the amount of people around him and if he wasn’t so numb he thinks he would probably cry. Darius had been by earlier, some strange attempt to woo Levi, while he had explained that a marriage between the God of War and the God of Love would be the perfect balance. He couldn’t stand Darius as it were, but when he looked into his eyes and saw nothing but lust, Levi felt exhausted. 

Hundreds of suitors and not a single one of them looked at him with anything that even resembled genuine feeling. 

He sat back against his front door and watched the Blacksmithing God, Erwin, move up the path towards him, “Good morning, Levi.” His voice was genuine and Levi smiled weakly. Erwin accepted it graciously anyways. “I have that new sword finished for you. It has the best balance of any long blade I’ve made, I made it to your arm span.” He reaches into the small cart of weapons and metalcraft he brings with him and holds it out. He never moves over Levi’s threshold. He knows better and Levi feels fond. He likes Erwin, thinks Erwin might even genuinely like him in return, and shoves himself to his feet to retrieve his new sword he had commissioned. 

The weapon _is_ perfect, Levi swings it easily and Erwin positively lights up. “Thanks old man.” Levi grins and Erwin laughs good naturedly. 

“Of course.” Erwin looks to the sky, “Such strange weather we’ve been having. If i’ve learned anything about the gods, it’s that strange weather means bad news for all of us.” 

“True.” Levi doesn’t meet his eyes, doesn’t want to see the look of shallow lust on the only person he respects, “You could always go hide out in your volcano until it passes.” 

Erwin hums, “Very warm, great view of the bay.” 

Levi snorts, “Go run your errands before these fickle gods strike you dead.” Erwin bows to him and Levi imparts a small wave at him, watching him disappear into the hillsides. The wind picks up, and Levi swears that the sky greys just slightly. “Demeter.” He whispers, mostly to himself and retreats into his home. 

 

~~

 

It’s been seven days of frigid weather and Sasha pulls her hunting furs tight around her ears, “I thought this was just a normal thing. Just a little cold weather right?” She glances at Marco wrapped tightly in many layers, “But now, i’m really not convinced.” 

Marco looks up at her from his spot underneath a large fir tree, “You thought this was normal?” His breath comes in visible puffs and Sasha thinks this must be particularly difficult on him as a mortal. He tended now to the livestock of the gods and surprisingly none of them had any insight to his relationship with Jean. Sasha had become fast friends with him, keeping him company in the fields at night while Jean was away. 

“I don’t know, sometimes when Eren gets his mom all worked up she-” Sasha stops herself and glances outward to the meadows, “You’ve met Eren, right?” 

Marco frowns, “No, is he a god too?” 

Sasha nods, “Yeah of springtime and flowers. His mom, she sort of controls the weather, but it’s only- really warm- weather.” She stares down at her lap, “I haven’t seen Eren in a while.” Sasha jumps to her feet then, Marco stumbling to follow, “Stay here, I need to find my brother. If any gods ask, we didn’t have this conversation.” 

Marco wants to ask her what exactly that conversation was, because he’s certain he didn’t understand any of it. Instead, he watches her take off across the pasture, clearing the fence in an easy leap. Connie is in a deep sleep by now, Marco is sure of it, he has to raise the sun in a few hours, but Sasha had seemed urgent as she disappears into their temple, emerging minutes later with a distraught looking sun god. 

 

~~

 

“Carla, please.” Mikasa is barely audible behind the thick red scarf wrapped around her mouth. The wind around them is tumultuous, picks up in huge gales and whips Mikasa’s hair around. Sasha almost falls over in the yard when her and Connie come upon them. 

“Mikasa, what happened?” Sasha shouts above the howling wind. 

Mikasa moves cautiously towards them, careful not to lose her footing, “Eren’s gone.” 

Connie and Sasha glance at each other, “Gone where?” Connie asks.

Mikasa spares a look towards the very distressed Carla, “Just gone. He never came home last Sunday. Carla can’t sense him she’s afraid of the worst.” 

“He can’t be dead.” Connie says low, and Mikasa looks on the verge of tears, “We could contact the Old Gods. They’ll bring Hades to chair and he can tell us if he’s in the book. He has to register everyone that comes through the underworld, he’ll know.” 

Mikasa doesn’t want to bring the idea to Carla, because it would mean that there was a part of her that believed Eren truly was dead. She knows she should, that it’s the smart thing to do, and she watches her weeping step-mother sadly. “Have Moblit deliver a letter to the gods. I’m sure they’ve noticed a change in the weather.” She glances up at the black sky and prays that they are wrong about Eren. 

 

~~

 

Eren figures he’s only been gone a few hours, possible only a day, but already he’s adjusted to the bleak temperature of the underworld. Even his flowers stay alive for a little bit before withering and he sighs happily. He should be lonely in such a foreign palace so far from the world he’s used to, but he doesn’t. He feels like he’s at home. Armin wanders into his chambers, where Eren had been going through his books, and drops a new stack of parchment near his bed. “It’s so strange, there’s so many new deaths in such a short time. The elderly, the young. All from pneumonia and influenza, even a case of hypothermia.” He drops onto the bed next to Eren.

“That’s not normal?” Eren gently cups his hands and opens them up to reveal an acacia. He blushes and lets it fall out of sight. 

Armin shakes his head, “Not this quickly.” He looks a little forlorn and Eren crosses his legs, his knees nudging Armin’s gently.

“Do you know about love at first sight?” Eren asks

Armin wrinkles his nose, “Not really, it’s a myth?” He guesses. 

“Levi says it’s real, he would know.” 

“Aphrodite?” Armin waits for Eren to nod a confirmation. “It’s not really in my inventory of knowledge,” He jokes, “I don’t think i’m allowed to love.” 

Eren blanches at that, grabs Armin’s hand, “That’s not true, why not? Just because you live down here?”

Armin wants to pull his hand away from Eren, he hates the way it makes him feel false hope, “Who is going to love me, Eren? Maybe one of the dead? My shadows, my crows?” He’s frustrated, Eren can’t possibly understand. 

Eren looks impossibly sad, hand wrapping gently around the back of Armin’s neck, making him shiver, but not from the cold. He doesn’t kiss Armin right away, just keeps his nose pressed against the bridge of Armin’s own, watches as Armin closes his eyes against the sensation of another person existing so close to him. When Eren finally meets his lips, Armin lets out a sad whine. Eren is persistent, kisses warm and full of intent and Armin wants to stay in it forever. But he can’t. He was told implicitly during his ceremony that his life was one of solitude. There was no partner to be had for the God of Death, he would have his numbers and his books and he would follow the rules. He shoves weakly at Eren’s chest, “I _can’t_ ” He pleads and Eren just continues to kiss under his jaw, along his neck, shaking with cold and not even realizing it. “Eren you’re dying!” Armin shoves him harder, holds him away from him, breath coming in uneven pants. “Please, I can’t be with you, and it’s draining you to even touch me.” 

Eren looks down at his arms, paler than their usual tan complexion. His vision is cloudy at the edges and he knows that Armin is telling him the truth, but it just feels so _right_ to be with him that way. “I don’t care if it kills me. It’s where we’re supposed to be, I know you felt that too.” 

Armin is frustrated, that Eren would be so quickly to throw his entire life away, and he’s about to say so when a messenger crow materializes out of the stone walls of his chamber and lands next to him, parchment tied to its leg. It’s a light blue, a request for status. “Someone is looking for a missing person.” He mutters, and Eren watches him untie the parchment.

“Why would they ask you?” He’s confused by the request.

“They think they might be dead.” Armin tells him sadly and carefully moves the twine away. The silence that fills the chamber is heavy, Armin’s face a mix of panic and confusion and Eren bounces curiously around on the bed.

“Well?” He leans forward a little, “Who are the gods looking for?” Armin hands him the small paper, adorned with an embossing of wildflowers and written in elegant script in the center, _Persephone (Eren)_.


	3. Chapter 3

Moblit is a nervous god. He shifts between his feet awkwardly, not knowing how to address the mortal that is clearly staring at him. This boy shouldn’t be able to see him. _There are rules_.

The boy looks just as awkward as Moblit feels. He keeps a thick wool blanket around his shoulders and wrinkles his freckled nose from the steps of Selene’s temple. “Hello there” He waves cautiously and Moblit thinks about running. It’s what he’s good at. 

“Are you- you’re not the God of the Moon.” He states dumbly and the boy shakes his head.

“I’m not, I’m Marco. Are you okay?” 

Moblit looks at the parchment in his hands and then nervously around the fields. “I don’t think you’re supposed to be here, talking to me. You are a mortal, yes?” 

Marco nods, opens his mouth to speak, when an _actual_ god practically forms from the shadows of the temple. “He is, and he tends to our livestock. The best shepherd for the gods.” He crosses his arms over his chest and leans against one of the pillars like he’s bored. “This is my temple, can I help you?” 

“Ah, yes” Moblit is relieved and he practically falls up the steps trying to get to Selene. “There’s been a summons to the council for all of the gods. Persephone has been found.” 

The god snatches the paper from Moblit’s hands and let’s his eyes flick over the messenger as if he’s lying, “Where?” 

That, Moblit doesn’t actually know the answer to. He bows and back out of the temple, still eyeing the shepherd like he might assault him, “I suppose that’s what we’ll find out at the council. Good day- to both of you.” He takes off then, winged shoes carrying him easily away from the temple. 

Jean inspects the summon front and back and sighs. “He’s odd,” Marco comments and it pulls Jean back into the moment.

“Moblit’s got a lot happening. He works for Athena, they keep him a little overloaded with work.” Jean saunters back into his temple and Marco follows him, still amazed at the way the open forum turns into a palace around them. Everything is different in the presence of a god. The moon cycle rotates slowly above them, inscribed in a heavy gold ring that rotates around an ivory Earth, the light inside of it splashing constellations over the walls. 

Marco watches the constellation of Orion twinkle at his feet and doesn’t notice when Jean comes up behind him to wrap his arms around his waist and press a kiss to the back of his neck. “Your freckles look gold in here.” Jean mumbles into his skin and Marco bites his lip and grins. He turns in Jean’s arm, slips his hands around the back of his neck and kisses him. Jean sighs against his lips and plays with Marco’s soft hair near his neck. He loves the way Marco kisses him, like he’s something to be cherished and worshipped in a way that his followers never have. He loves the way Marco laughs easily, and offers his affections easily. He loves his warm brown eyes and warmer smile and the way he looks like sunlight in the temple of the moon. Mostly, Jean just loves _him_.

He tells Marco, whispers it against his lips and Marco kisses him harder, with more intent, and when he pulls away his eyes are dark with hunger. “Say it again.” Marco drags his hands down Jean’s sides, slips them underneath his robes and Jean tries for a confident smile, that falters on the edges the lower Marco’s fingers travel. 

“I love you.” Jean says and Marco drops to his knees in front of him. Jean’s mouth goes dry as Marco slides the fine fabric of his robes up his thighs. The mortal presses a kiss to the inside of Jean’s leg and stops, looking up at him expectantly and Jean practically sobs on his words, “I love you, gods I love you. So much- so- Ah!” Marco takes him in his mouth, all the way to the back of his throat and Jean nearly doubles over.

 

~~

 

Levi drags his favorite red robe out and slips it over his head. It’s a dark burgundy, looks like the color of drying blood. “Ceremonial ones, Levi.” Hanji storms into his room and throws themself down on his bed. They’re dressed in full robes and adornments. 

“What? Why it’s a small council. Identification, disbursement, go home, forget I had to even had to do this, better weather.” Levi explains and Hanji hums sadly.

“How nice would that be? But there was an entire summoning, and _you_ are taking stand.” Hanji starts their personal routine of digging through Levi’s belongings. 

“The sta- Wait is this a council or no?” Levi holds his robe in a ball tucked under his arm and doesn’t even protest when Hanji blatantly inspects his bare chest and stomach.

“It _was_ a council, until Persephone responded. You know how your boy loves to dig himself into a hole.” Levi rolls his eyes at that, knowing that Eren does in fact excel at escalating the situation. “Hades responds to the outreach, Persephone is alive we should all just move along. _But then_ Rod gets suspicious about that, ‘What is the God of Spring doing in the underworld, clearly this isn’t the proper atmosphere for him’” Hanji’s impression of Zeus is laughable but they power through, “So then he demands a personal response from Eren himself and he gets this real crazy answer.” 

“It’s Eren, did he expect any less?” Levi snorts and Hanji waves their hands a little belligerently.

“No, listen, this is the best part. Eren comes back with this whole, ‘I chose to come here _because i’m in love_ ” 

“Oh for the love of-” Levi buries his face in his hands, “So what, I have to perform a marriage?” 

“Not quite.” Hanji’s face falls a little then, “It’s now a trial. Against Hades.” 

Levi’s stomach turns, he may be the god of love, but the higher ups truly call the shots when they deem a relationship unworthy. “How, he’s a good kid, it’s not his fault Eren acts strictly on impulse.” And Eren wasn’t lying, he had seen his eyes before he left.

“They think Hades kidnapped him. Put him under a spell.” Hanji frowns, “That’s why you’re so very important, as always, because all you have to do is that whole-” 

Hanji point from their eyes to Levi’s and Levi nods. He had met the God of Death at the last large council and the kid had endeared himself to Levi. He was smart, quiet, and much more reliant on facts and practicality than most other gods. Dragging him in front of a council for judgement seemed ruthless. Levi drops his robe on his bed and carefully digs his ceremonial ones out instead.

 

~~

 

Carla has a tight hold on Mikasa’s hand, but she keeps their hands down by her lap so that the other gods can’t see. The chatter amongst them is deafening and Carla can feel all of their eyes on her, whispering to each other. The light in the agora dims flickers and dims and the stands fill with black smoke and Carla squints through the hail of ashes and dust to watch the God of Death move like shadows into the room. His robes are black as pitch and skin is a ghostly white under the heavy layers, his crown a mix of iron and bones and he looks straight ahead, sparing no regard for the gods around him, staring at him in a stunned silence. Carla is so absorbed in his presence that she almost misses her son, a stark contrast in golden yellows and ivy, following close behind. She can’t help it when she tries to stand, but Mikasa pulls her roughly back down. 

Hades looks at her and Carla shivers when she locks onto his gaze, which looks strangely- sad. Zeus stands, bows to Hades and get’s one in return. “Hades, God of Death.” He looks toward Eren, “Our wayward child of Spring. You’ve been gone a long time, Persephone.” He looks like a parent reprimanding his child, and Eren seems to shrink under his scrutiny. “You understand that this is a trial of the gods now, correct?” Hades casts his gaze to the floor, closes his eyes briefly and takes a deep breath before nodding. “For the kidnapping of Persephone, how do you defend yourself.” 

Eren moves to speak but Zeus waves his hand, effectively silencing him, “I didn’t kidnap him, I didn’t do anything against his will.” Carla is startled by his voice, by how young he sounds. “He came into the underworld through the woods, he wanted to stay.” 

Zeus turns to Eren then, “Why did you choose to stay in the land of the dead, child?” His tone is patronizing and Carla is proud of Eren for staying so level. 

“I found the underworld on accident, but I stayed because I’m in love.” He says it quietly, but earnestly, and Carla doesn’t miss the way Hades mouth twitches in the corner with the hint of a smile. 

“You’re in love with the God of Death?” Zeus doesn’t look impressed and Eren nods, “Fine, bring Aphrodite forward.” 

Eren is mildly relieved to see Levi, a sort of friendly face given the situation. He looks at Eren like he’s caused him a major inconvenience. He supposes he probably has. Eren is confident when Levi stands in front of him, squares his shoulders and sighs before taking Eren’s face between his hands. Levi glances at Armin and nods. He’s never been able to read Hades’ eyes, too devoid of life to register with Levi’s power. “In the case of Persephone, God of Spring, is the boy as in love as he says he is?” Zeus asks like he’s just told a great joke and Levi hates him. But the longer he stares at Eren he feels panic begin to seep into him. 

“I- I can’t tell.” He narrows his eyes, turns Eren’s head, moves slightly closer to him. “His eyes aren’t- they’re not alive.” He determines and the electricity that fills the room has Levi’s skin prickling.

“What is this?” Zeus’s voice is loud, more commanding than Levi’s heard in awhile and it takes him a moment to realize he’s addressing Hades, “What sort of spell have you put him under?” 

The agora erupts in panicked voices, Carla can’t help the dread the fills every cell of her body. Eren is trying to talk over him, pleading with Zeus that he has it wrong, that if he just gives it a few days of him out of the underworld, Levi will be able to read him. Hades takes a step away from Zeus only to be stopped by Ares. He gives up on reasoning with the other gods then, looks at her son and reaches out to him, Eren’s name tumbling off his lips with more fear than one who lives amongst the dead ever should. Athena takes Eren into their arms in a strange sort of restraining embrace and Carla grips her seat so tightly her fingertips rub raw. “For the kidnapping of-” Zeus raises his hand to silence the room

“No, please-” Hades cries out

“And rape of Persephone.” He looks at Hades with disgust, Carla covers her mouth to silence a sob, “Never again shall you have contact with the God of Springtime. Never again will you sew you roots of evil in his mind, or burden him with your touch of death.” 

Eren fights violently against Athena, pressed against the floor under their grip and yells his name. Not Hades, as he’s only been addressed the entirety of the trial, but Armin. When Ares drags the god, bodily past them, Carla grabs his robe, “How dare you” she spits out and Hades turns his milky blue eyes towards her, tears over the bridge of his nose and dripping off of his chin.

“I didn’t” He tells her weakly, “I didn’t touch him, I didn’t.” His words are so convincing, Carla almost finds herself believing him, until Ares jerks him away harshly. Athena brings Eren over to his mother, stroking his hair gently once while Carla pulls him into a fierce embrace. 

“I’m so sorry.” She says into his hair while Eren sobs into the side of her neck, “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep you safe.” 

 

~~

 

Levi places a fresh pot of tea on the table for the small gathering of young gods that have collected in his temple. Mikasa keeps an arm draped around her brother, who has done little more than stare at his lap and cry since the trial. Jean, Connie and Sasha stay closely gathered nearby, Erwin helping Levi clean, while Carla watches her son from across the table. “They should’ve waited. Rod knew it wouldn’t work now, he did it on purpose.” Levi feels exhausted when he collapses into a chair next to Carla. 

Carla’s head hurts and she doesn’t understand Levi’s words, “Why though? If he did nothing wrong, why punish Hades?” Sasha accepts a cup of tea from Erwin.

“Because Rod didn’t plan this. You might think we have freedom over what we do, but know this- the Old Gods have a plan for all of us, and like hell they won’t do everything in their power to make it work.” Levi rubs the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, “They probably want to marry Eren off to one of their own. They _definitely_ did it to remind Armin that his place is not up there with them.” 

Eren’s jaw clenches but he still says nothing, and when Carla reaches out to grab his hand he pulls it out of her reach and places it in his lap. “But he kidnapped Eren- he- he” She can’t bring herself to say it

“Raped him?” Levi levels her with an even stare. “No he didn’t. He barely touched him.” 

Carla just wants her son to look at her, “How can you know that?” 

Levi snorts, “Because your son would be dead. He wouldn’t be sitting here now if he had that amount of closeness with him. Eren, did he rape you?”

Eren glares at Levi, “No.” He grits out and Mikasa strokes his arm camly,

“Were you consensually intimate with him?” He presses on and Eren looks back down at the table.

“No. I-” His voice breaks from disuse and crying, “I kissed him but he stopped me. Because it was killing me.” 

Levi hold his hands out towards Eren in a told-you-so fashion and Carla can’t keep the image of Hades distressed pleading out of her head. Of _Armin_. “Could we wait? Give it a month and ask for a retrial when his eyes are clear?” Erwin asks calmly, his presence a source of stability in the room, and the younger gods seem to gravitate towards him. 

“I don’t think they would.” Levi admits, “This was too calculated.”

Mikasa stands, brushes off the front of her dark grey robes and pulls Eren to his feet, brushing the left over tears from under his eyes, “We’ll figure it out. The Old Gods have most of the power but they forget that Armin is one of them, whether they like that or not.”

The others join her to leave and Levi grabs Jean’s arm on the way out, “Learn from this.” He tells him seriously and Jean fixes him with a look of confusion. It’s unconvincing. “If you don’t want them to hurt him, let him go.” 

It’s a warning and panic flits across Jean’s face, only for a moment but long enough for Levi to see it. He leaves quickly, joins the others as the make their trek home. “I’m still not sure I’ve taken in what happened today.” Erwin crosses his arms across the chest, leather gauntlets still tight on his forearms. 

“It’s a threat. They just used Eren and Armin as an example.” He watches the figures disappearing into the night and sighs.


End file.
